ILOILO: HEART of the PHILIPPINES

To highlight the importance of health and not delaying healthcare services during this time of the pandemic, The Medical City (TMC) Iloilo recently launched the “Health is Essential, Do Not Delay” campaign. Aimed at making the public understand of the benefit of having early consultation in preventing development of diseases, “Health is Essential, Do Not Delay” Campaign will be underscored with series of online events and webinars that will feature TMC Iloilo medical specialists.  “This initiative is our way to make the public understand how delays in healthcare services affect our patients in terms of developing complications and how early detection and prevention can be of great benefit in terms of saving lives,” said TMC Iloilo Chief Executive Officer Dr. Felix Ray Villa.  Meanwhile, TMC Iloilo Chief Medical Officer Dr. Debbie Noblezada-Uy highlighted that time is an important element in terms of saving lives, specifically for emergency cases such as stroke and h...

Capture happiness and take pride in Iloilo’s vibrant music scene as local talents come together in Festive Walk Iloilo’s Ambahanon: an Online Ilonggo Concert in celebration of Iloilo City’s 84th Charter Week celebration.  In partnership with the Iloilo Festivals Foundation, Inc., the Iloilo City Government and MuziCares, Megaworld Lifestyle Malls and Festive Walk Iloilo aim to inspire hope and happiness by showcasing Ilonggo pride through music. Headlining the concert is singer-songwriter Emman Abatayo, a Top 10 Finalist of the Pinoy Dream Academy Season 1. Viewers will also be in for a musical treat with the sets of Noah & Claudette, Noah & Claudette, Fuerza Suave, Ortencio Siblings and Richmond & Klite Candelario. Ambahanon: an online Ilonggo concert will be broadcasted live on Aug. 27, 6:30 via Festive Walk Iloilo’s Facebook page.  Festive Walk Iloilo also invites everyone to spark hope by uplifting Ilonggo pride and talent through its roste...

Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. issued Executive Order No. 320 today August 16, 2021, implementing the zoning containment strategy and barangay quarantine in critical areas in the province of Iloilo bringing back quarantine passes in areas affected. From August 17 to 31, 2021, all cities and municipalities in Iloilo province shall enforce the zoning containment strategy and strict barangay quarantine over barangay/s or zone/s with clustering of COVID-19 cases and other indicators set by the IATF. Defensor said there is a need to enforce measures to significantly reduce people circulation in order to address the developing COVID-19 surge in the province and the advent of the new COVID-19 variants. UPDATE As of August 19, 2021 Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. issued a memorandum urging the city/municipal mayors, punong barangays, and all concerned to enforce the BARANGAY QUARANTINE until August 31, 2021 under Executive Order 320, Series of 2021. These critical areas will be identifi...

  The Iloilo Provincial Government is the first provincial local government unit (LGU) in Western Visayas that has been granted the Safety Seal certificate by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). The Safety Seal given to the Iloilo provincial government means that it is compliant to the minimum public health standards and protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The DILG provincial inspection and validation team led by provincial director Teodora Sumagaysay conducted an ocular inspection of the Iloilo Provincial Capitol premises on Friday, August 13, 2021 to confirm the result of the remote pre-assessment it conducted two days earlier. Sumagaysay said the Iloilo provincial government passed in all the items listed in the Safety Seal certification checklist.  She lauded the initiatives implemented by the Iloilo provincial government to protect not only its employees but also its clientele.  Provincial Administrator Atty. Suzette Mamon received th...

Three government hospitals in Iloilo province will be upgraded to Level 2 as part of efforts to combat the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) outbreak and meet other medical requirements of the residents. In a virtual presser on Friday, Department of Health - Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH-WV CHD) Director Adriano Suba-an said the plan aims to decrease the number of patients being confined at the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC), a tertiary hospital here. “All the government hospitals in the province of Iloilo are either infirmary or Level 1. We need to have a Level 2 hospital so that patients going into the Western Visayas Medical Center, which is present in Iloilo City, will decrease and other patients can be accommodated by other hospitals, especially in the province of Iloilo,” he said. The hospitals to be upgraded are the Western Visayas Sanitarium in the municipality of Sta. Barbara and the Don Jose S. Monfort Medical Center Extension Hospita...

SM CITY ILOILO is the FIRST establishment in the city  to receive the Safety Seal Certification.  The Safety Seal is a guarantee that the business is compliant with the requirements set by the government to ensure their health, safety, and security. Present in the awarding were Ariel S. Sabale- Chief, FPU, Jimmy V. Magbanua - Licensing Officer II, BPLO, Marianne B. Ordonia - Licensing Officer I - BPLO, Rudy Catahay - Health Sanitation Inspector VI, Environmental Health & Sanitation Div., CHO. The city also gave SM STRATA the Safety Seal certification, and the first BPO building in the city to receive the same. #TogetherAtSM, let's be one in this fight against COVID-19. Make sure to follow our health and safety protocols to ensure #SafeMallingAtSM

With the current situation in Iloilo City brought about by the Covid 19 Pandemic, the Iloilo Festivals Foundation, Inc. (IFFI) and its Miss Iloilo Committee have decided to defer the holding of the actual contest to select a representative for Miss Universe Philippines. But still, another Ilongga beauty is set to bring the banner of Iloilo in the quest for the Miss Universe Philippines crown this year hoping to repeat the victory of Miss Universe Philippines 2020 and Iloilo City's very own Rabiya Mateo. IFFI together with the Iloilo City Government, upon the recommendation of its Miss Iloilo Committee, is officially endorsing Ms. Kheshapornam Empedrad Ramachandran as the City of Love's official candidate to upcoming Miss Universe Philippines 2021. Emerging as first runner-up during the Miss Iloilo 2020 Competition, Ms. Ramachandran is next in line, by order of succession, to be the rightful representative. She follows right after the three title holders of...

It is no secret that Megaworld Corporation was the catalyst of Iloilo City's boom that started more than 10 years ago. The prime developer of townships across the country bought the 54-hectare old Iloilo Airport lot for PhP 1.2 billion as developed it into the premier CBD known as Iloilo Business Park. Anchored by Festive Walk Iloilo mall, Richmonde Hotel Iloilo, Courtyard by Marriott Iloilo, Iloilo Convention Center, ILOMOCA, numerous BPO offices and luxury condominium towers, the development has changed the over-all landscape of Iloilo City and little remains of what it used to be - an airport. The only surviving remnant of the old Mandurriao airport is the Control Tower and it serves as a monument to Iloilo's aviation history and Philippine aviation history. The structure also pays homage to Pope John Paul II, who used the airport on his Iloilo stop during his 1981 visit to the Philippines. (Wikipedia) And the days of the structure are numbered as demolition of the original ...

Leading digital solutions and customer experience (CX) provider TELUS International Philippines (TIP) opened its 7th delivery center in the country and first outside Metro Manila in Iloilo City. The new TELUS Iloilo City delivery center is centrally located on Levels 14 to 16 of the SM Strata Tower on Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue, one of the busiest thoroughfares in Iloilo City, and right across SM Iloilo Mall, accessible through a covered bridgeway from SM Iloilo.   “We are thrilled to launch our milestone delivery center in Iloilo City, our first-ever TELUS International Philippines location outside of Metro Manila. The IT and customer experience business scene is booming in Iloilo and we want to be part of its growth as we provide more employment opportunities for residents in Iloilo and surrounding cities. We look forward to building a strong team of professionals who will provide exceptional support to our growing list of clients in the areas of digital customer care...